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SB458, longitudinal data system — No, Hell NO

I strongly oppose the statewide longitudinal data collection system, that would trace our students from pre-K through high school and into the workforce. This is a socialist plan to pigeon-hole kids into certain career paths. I was a late bloomer and would have been relegated to some meaningless job in a lower economic strata. But in college, I developed self confidence and was able to graduate with a teaching degree and believe I have been a positive contributor to society. That wouldn’t have happened if I had been categorized by the character and emotional development of my early years. Please, stop trying to socially engineer society. Let kids be kids and develop with a path of their own choosing.

by truejoy927

I oppose SB458, the tracking of our children by the Department of Education from pre-k through high school all the way to the work force, without parental consent. “The system will DIRECT students to the type of college or career ready jobs and into a field which will allow them successful outcome for the student and the state”. This is an Orwellian Big Brother system which puts the states needs above the desires of the individual. It goes against parental rights and the right to privacy. Even the ACLU and the National Review agree that the Statewide Longitudinal Data System should not be used to track individual students. This is totally un-American. Please vote “NO” on SB458.

by peter5427

Oh. This is an “education” bill… Let’s begin with the fact that “longitudinal” means “lifelong.” Cradle to grave, eventually. Not just of a student — ALL students in whatever school, public or private — but every family and household member of every student. Not just their academic record, but all demographic, economic and every other conceivable personal data. All in the name of trying to figure out why some student do well and others do poorly; and what schools can do to improve their odds of success as adults. And you see, that is the point they desperately try to ignore; the only thing that they have known for decades, centuries and millennia: success in school depends on (1) supportive parents at home, dedicated to their child’s education, and (2) competent teachers in the classroom. NOT buildings and ever more strange top-down government programs run by super expensive administrators and huge staffs, and politicians preening for votes. Just parents and teachers. Good parents and good teachers. The trouble with that, of course, is that it does not require huge programs, huge bureaucracies and huge taxes. Nobody’s empire-building ego is stroked by the size of it all.

The state-wide longitudinal data system (SLDS) was paired with Common Core, and became an inseparable part of it. Common Core is another example of social engineers desperately pretending that we are still searching for the right way to teach; desperately — no, arrogantly — trying to ignore the lessons we’ve learned and known for decades, centuries and millennia. And telling people to shut up, leave it to the “experts,” and keep shoveling ever larger amounts of taxes while the problem is only getting worse.

(1) We at Protect Nevada Children are against the Nevada Statewide Longitudinal Data System (NSLDS). The NV Dept. of Education (NDE) told us via Joe Hart, My News 4 Reno, what the goal of the NSLDS is: “The NDE will follow INDIVIDUAL student’s progress from pre-K through high school all the way to the work force. The system will help DIRECT students to the type of college or career ready jobs, and into a field which will allow them a successful outcome for both the student and their state.” Of course this is done without parental consent or notification. We at Protect Nevada Children do not think the NDE should be “following” and “directing” “individual students” at all!

The ACLU and National Review don’t agree on much but they agree Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems should not be used to track individual students (see slides 49-63). Since I created the previous slides the Tenth Amendment Center has also agreed with the ACLU. Any time the ACLU, National Review, and the Tenth Amendment Center agree we need to pay attention, especially when it comes to student privacy.